Thank you for the reviews for the last chapter. I wanted to get this one up before tomorrow because I'm moving into a house at uni tomorrow and I don't have the internet yet. This isn't the last chapter, I found a new way to do what I was originally going to and so the next chapter will be the last one followed by a short epilogue. Hope you enjoy this one, it's longer than the others because I couldn't stop writing the middle part and didn't want to cut it earlier than when I had in mind.
Michael was sat stirring his coffee as he stared across the table at Cuddy. She was sat with her arms crossed and a frown planted firmly on her face. He glanced at Wilson and saw that he was sat in very much the same way.
"Sign the papers, Michael." Cuddy was bored of waiting around. She had listened to his bullshit too many times already and now she was sat waiting for him to continue spilling the same shit? No, she was done with listening and she was definitely done with waiting for him to start talking.
Michael looked back at her, his eyes widened in fear as he realised that he had to say something fast. She was now taking the papers out of the envelope, flipping to the last page then opening her purse and pulling out a pen. She pushed both towards him and sat waiting, her face void of any expression.
He leaned back slightly and pulled out a pill bottle, taking the lid off and placing a pill in his mouth before washing it down with his coffee. Cuddy tensed knowing full well what he had just done and, judging by the way Wilson had shifted slightly, he too knew what had just happened.
"Anti depressants." Michael said, holding the pill bottle up briefly then putting it back into his pocket. "Doctor prescribed them to me a few days ago."
"And you thought that by taking them in front of me would illicit some kind of emotional response." Cuddy said, knowing that, although he would deny it, it was exactly what he had been looking to do.
"What? No." Michael said leaning forward on the table, hands reaching out in attempt to hold on to Cuddy's but thinking twice when he saw Wilson shift and pull his chair closer to the table. "It's just...my doctor and therapist felt I should be on them -"
Cuddy shifted her chair back and leaned back in her chair again, keeping a good distance, and glared at him. "I know what you're doing. You think that by telling me you got help is going to make me forgive you and take you back..." His sad expression was betrayed by the slight sparkle in his eyes. "It's not going to work. This is what you do, Michael. You manipulate people to get them to do what you want to do. I'm not falling for it anymore."
"That's not what I'm trying to do. I'm sorry if that's the impression you got from that. I didn't even think about it when I took my dose." Michael said. "I just don't really know how to handle this situation. I've already messed up just by picking Alex up from school..."
Cuddy tensed. "You didn't just pick him up from school. I checked with my assistant, she said she didn't receive any message and if she had, she would have told me right away." She leaned forward slightly and spoke definitely. "You deliberately used my son in an attempt to get me to talk to you and used our fear of House going to jail. Both fine examples of your expert manipulation skills."
"I did not use Alex to get to you. I just wanted to see my step son, I would never have hurt him and you know that." He took a sip of his coffee and lowered the mug back to the table. "I...may have used my...people skills," Cuddy snorted in wry amusement, "to deal with the police but it wasn't because I felt like you would *have* to listen to me after. I did it because I understood how House was feeling. Having something taken from your life without warning -"
Cuddy held up a hand to stop him from speaking. "You had plenty of warning after every demeaning comment and every bruise you gave me. Did you really think I was going to put up with it forever? I left the first time -"
"But you came back." Michael interrupted, hoping that she would do the same again this time.
"And I wish I hadn't. I put myself through too much and I am never going to do that again." She looked right into his eyes with a steely determination that Wilson had usually seen her use in board meetings.
Wilson looked at Michael, quirking an eyebrow in interest at the man's seemingly defeated posture. His body language indicated that he was giving up but Wilson was on alert, not wanting to take anything at face value yet. At the moment he was content to sit and observe leaving Cuddy to deal with the situation until he felt he was needed to intervene. She didn't need him behaving like House and interfering during the whole meeting. He would sit, wait and observe what was going on in front of him.
Cuddy also noticed the slump of Michael's shoulders but didn't allow herself to take it as a sign of his defeat. He had spent the last week trying to manipulate her into staying and she wasn't going to let her defences drop until he signed the damn papers.
"Do you really want to end what we have?" Michael asked quietly, looking deep into her eyes.
Cuddy was silent for a moment making sure she had his full attention before answering. "Yes." She said slowly.
He couldn't deny it anymore. His wife was sat in front of him, a friend at her side for support - protection? - telling him that their marriage was over. Still making eye contact, Cuddy could see that Michael was finally accepting the situation. His eyes portrayed how much pain he was in to hear her say those words but it was nothing compared to the pain she was feeling. She had always put her job before a family until she had decided on IVF. That decision was her way of accepting the fact that she was never going to find a husband and when Alex was born fears about becoming a single mother disappeared. Meeting Michael and having things work out between them, gave her hope and now, three years down the line, it was all coming to an end because he couldn't keep his anger and insecurities in check. She just wished she could have saved herself all the heartache to begin with.
Michael looked down at the papers for a moment then stood from his seat. "If it's what you want..." He leaned over and signed the papers. "I'm so sorry." He whispered, standing straight once again and looking at her with tears in his eyes. She hated it when he cried but she didn't look away.
Cuddy still had the internal battle about whether or not to tell him about the baby. She felt he should know but she was struggling, the words getting jammed in her throat.
Michael walked round Wilson and stood next to Cuddy's chair. He bent down and placed a kiss on her cheek. "I really am sorry to lose you, Lisa." His actions and words had completely taken her by surprise and by the time she realised what had just occurred, he was already heading out of the door.
"You couldn't tell him." Wilson had seen the struggle she had had getting the words out. He was unsure if it was a good thing that he didn't know yet.
Cuddy shook her head even though she knew that Wilson was stating the obvious as opposed to asking her a question. She was silent for a moment as the realisation of the situation hit her.
He was gone.
Michael had signed the papers and that alone was a huge relief. She started to smile as Wilson continued to watch at her.
"He signed them." She said, turning to Wilson with a small smile on her face. "He actually signed them."
Wilson smiled back at her. "Yeah, he did." He was relieved that they had managed to get through it without him having to get involved in anyway and he knew Cuddy was too. "You ready to go home?" He figured that discussing Michael and the baby now would dampen her spirits.
Cuddy nodded. "I need to drop these off with Marcus first." She said, placing the papers back in the envelope and the pen in her purse.
Wilson nodded, leading the way out of the coffee shop, holding the door open for Cuddy before following her back to the car.
__
"Well?"
Wilson was sat next to House on the couch while Cuddy was in the bathroom giving Alex a bath after arriving back home to discover he was covered in paint. What she didn't know was that House let him go to town with the paints so that he could get Cuddy out of the way and speak to Wilson alone.
"'Well' what?" Wilson asked playing dumb as he continued to watch TV.
House rolled his eyes and reached for remote turning the volume up. "Did you persuade her to get rid of it?"
Wilson looked at him with a frown on his face. "That wasn't the point of me talking to her."
House let out a groan letting his head fall back as he rubbed his face. "Yes, it was." He said turning back to face his friend. "You just messed it all up."
"Cuddy's keeping the baby, House. No matter how much you want her to get rid of it, she won't. And I'm not going to try and talk her out of it. You need to accept her decision."
House let his head fall back against the couch again and closed his eyes. He was sick of hearing that he would have to accept the fact that she had half of Michael's genes incubating inside of her. How was he supposed to visit Alex and come face to face with the new kid without feeling some sort of resentment for the fact that it's dad is the same bastard that hit it's mom? He wasn't sure he'd be able to. He wasn't sure he wanted to.
"So you didn't get any information from her?" House turned his head slightly to see Wilson shake his head.
"There was no information to get. You already know everything there is to know about this kid and what Cuddy wants to do."
"Then what was the point in even taking her out?" House asked, sitting up at the thought of a mystery. He furrowed his brow slightly scrutinising his best friend as he spoke.
Wilson turned to face House. "The point...the point was to give Cuddy a chance to talk to a friend. I was just there to...listen to her."
House raised an eyebrow growing more curious by the second due to Wilson's hesitation. Why would anyone need to hesitate when remembering what they did unless they were trying to come up with something.
"So you just sat and listened to her talk?" House asked watching for Wilson's reaction.
Wilson nodded his face void of any emotion.
"About the foetus?"
Wilson frowned slightly at House's choice of words and nodded again.
The pair was silent for a while as the entered into a staring contest. Wilson attempting to hold his ground while House was waiting for him to crack.
"Okay." House said simply and turned his attention back to the TV.
Wilson shot a confused look at the side of his friends face before being snapped out of his thoughts of House setting him up by an excited five year old jumping into his lap.
"Ooph." Wilson let out as Alex sat up straight to look him the eye.
"Mommy says you're taking me out now." He said excitedly.
Wilson looked up to see Cuddy with a pleading look on her face and he instantly knew that she was planning on telling House about her meeting today.
"I sure am." He said, putting Alex on the floor and standing up. He took Alex's jacket from Cuddy's outstretched hand knelt down to put it on him. "So, where d'you want to go? Zoo? Park?"
House continued to stare at the TV screen pretending he had no interest in the silent exchange going on between Wilson and Cuddy when in fact, he couldn't help but be intrigued. He could tell Cuddy wanted to talk to him about something and he assumed it was the same thing Wilson was avoiding talking to him about.
Cuddy waited until Wilson and Alex had left the apartment before taking a seat next to House on the sofa. She sat there in silence wondering how to broach the subject of what she was she was actually doing that morning with Wilson.
"Spit it out, Cuddy." House told her without looking at her.
She took in a deep breath before opening her mouth to speak. "I...met up with Michael this morning." House sat up straighter and turned to look at her, mouth open to speak, or shout, but Cuddy continued speaking.
"Wilson agreed to come with me but nothing happened for him to step in. He signed the papers, House." She smiled at him. She didn't think she would ever get tired of saying it especially after all the trouble she'd had getting him to sign them.
House looked away from her and shifted to the edge of the sofa, running a hand over his face. He was starting to get fed up with Cuddy trying to hide things from him. All he had done since he found out about her situation was help her and all she seemed to do was hide things.
"When are you moving back into your house?" He asked quietly.
Cuddy's jaw dropped in surprise. Of all the different ways she had seen this going, this wasn't what she had expected. "That's it? You don't want to know why I hid it from you? Or why he signed?"
"You don't seem to think I should know much so just tell me when you're moving out so I can tell Alex when I'll see him next." He stood up and turned on the spot waiting for a response. When none came, his mouth opened as though to say something more but he chose not to say anything and opted to walk around the couch into the bedroom where he knew his cell phone was.
Cuddy got up and followed him in time to catch him on the phone.
"How's the patient?" He asked the person on the other end of the line. "No, it's not like me to call and ask...maybe I'm just really interested." He turned and locked gazes with Cuddy. "She's still stable? I'm coming in. There's no way you were right. If she crashes before I get there, page me." With that, he hung up and placed the phone in his pocket attempting to walk past Cuddy in the process. She stopped him and he let out a sigh. He really hated when she did that.
"My patient's stable. I kind of need to be there for -"
"No," Cuddy interrupted, "you *want* to be there for no other reason than to avoid me. Just talk to me, House." She pleaded with him.
"What do you need to talk to me for? Just give Wilson a call. He'll be back like that," he clicked his fingers, "if you say the word." He attempted to walk around her but, once again, she moved and stepped in his path. "As much as I would *love* to dance with you in my bedroom, unless you plan on getting naked, I'm just not interested."
He moved to go to her left then quickly changed direction and going to her right. He made it out of the door before a hand landed on his shoulder and Cuddy was running around him to get in his way once more.
"I do trust you, House. I trust you when it comes to a diagnosis," House rolled his eyes and made another attempt to escape that Cuddy put a stop to straight away and then continued. "I trust you to cause trouble at the hospital and make my work life a living hell. I trust you with Alex, to look after him and protect him and..." Cuddy took a step towards him and placed her hands either side of House's face. House tensed slightly at the contact before relaxing. "I trust you to, although you'll deny it, protect me, look out for me. Everything that's happened the last few weeks proves that." Without thinking, she stood up on her toes and placed a chaste kiss on his unsuspecting lips, taking them both by surprise.
Cuddy recovered quickly, lowering herself back down on to her feet. "I trust you." She said just above a whisper. "I just can't trust you to think first and then act."
"...And...the kid?" He asked hesitantly, still trying to get his thoughts together after the kiss as Cuddy lowered her hands from his face to her sides.
"I trust that you'll come to accept my decision and get over whatever fears you have about this child."
Cuddy gave him a warm smile and he nodded in return before she turned on her heel and headed towards the living room, grabbing her briefcase and sitting on the sofa, spending the afternoon working while House sat beside her watching TV. Both choosing to ignore the kiss that had happened between them.
__
Wilson glanced at House who was brooding in the passenger seat beside him then looked back at the road.
"If you don't want Cuddy to leave -"
"I want Cuddy to leave."
Wilson shook his head and raised one of his hands from the steering wheel and sliced it through the air. "No, you don't. You acted like it was a burden having her and Alex -"
"Alex isn't a burden."
"No, and neither is Cuddy. You just behaved like she was. You knew she could have gone to her mother's but you said she could stay."
House rolled his eyes. "Have you met her mother? That's where Cuddy gets her annoying nature." He paused and looked up as though in thought. "Though she also gets her fun bags from her mom so it's not all bad I guess..." He mused.
Wilson furrowed his brow. "So you let her stay because you were saving her from her mother." Wilson stated more than asked.
"I let *Alex* stay to save him from his grandmother and with Alex comes Cuddy."
"Aah, but Alex has stayed alone with you a lot in the past. Why not tell Cuddy to go and stay at her mom's while Alex stays with you? I know you're not above telling someone to get out of your home."
House turned his head to look at Wilson's profile. "Because, Cuddy had just left a relationship where the guy used her like a stress ball whenever he got mad. She would never have agreed to live somewhere else while Alex was with me."
House turned back to look out of the window and silence descended on the pair as they drove to Cuddy's house. A minute or so passed before Wilson spoke up again.
"She feels safe around you and you like the fact that she feels safe with you. If you're not going to ask her to stay, why not move in with her and Alex?"
"Dumb question. Because she's annoying. Not every man on the planet is like you. We don't see a woman in distress and feel the need to save her."
"You did." Wilson replied with a smug smile on his face. "And, again, you like the fact that she came to you." He added before House had a chance to interrupt.
"She only came to me because Alex was with me. If he was with you, she would have gone to you." The diagnostician said with a sigh. "Now will you shut up."
Wilson just shook his head, his smile still in place, as House dismissed him. He pulled the car into Cuddy's empty driveway and shut off the engine before opening the door to get out.
House had already swung his legs round when he spoke. "She kissed me yesterday." He pushed himself up using his cane as quickly as possible and swinging the door shut behind him.
The oncologist was stunned momentarily, one leg outside the car while rest of his body remained inside. He saw House walking up the steps to the front door and pulling out the front door key and quickly got out of the car and locked it behind him.
"She kissed you?" Wilson asked, following House inside Cuddy's dark home.
"Yup," House replied, heading for the bedroom. He knew Wilson would follow him and so wasn't surprised when he heard footsteps behind him. "Why Jimmy," he said turning around, "I'm just not that kind of guy. You have to buy me lunch first." He gave him a smirk before heading to his original destination.
"I did."
"So you did," he opened the door to Cuddy's bedroom and noticed it was empty. "I'm still not putting out though."
While House checked the closet, Wilson stood leaning against the door frame, determined to get some more information from his friend.
"Why did she kiss you?" Wilson asked, arms folded as he watched House close the closet door again.
"His clothes are gone." House replied as he headed to the bathroom. "Looks like his toothbrush has gone too."
"House." Wilson stepped aside as House tried to get past him to look around the rest of the house. "You wouldn't have given up that piece of information if you didn't want to talk about it."
"He's gone." House concluded as he finished his inspection of the house and walked to the front door, his annoying friend following him.
"That much was obvious when you said his clothes were gone. And the fact he didn't run out at us. Are we going to talk about Cuddy?" He asked, unlocking the car with the button on the key and walking towards the driver's side as House locked the door behind them.
He didn't say anything until he got in the car and Wilson had reversed out of the driveway.
"She wants me to spend the night when she moves back in." He said nonchalantly.
The car swerved a bit when Wilson heard him and it was a minute or two before the oncologist spoke.
"'Spend the night'?" He began slowly taking a quick glance at House and then turning back to the road. "As in, spend the night or spend the night?" He asked, placing more emphasis on the second part.
House sighed and rolled his eyes. "As in 'spend the night in case the nasty scary man comes back." He said, his tone mimicking that of a person speaking to a young child or baby.
"So what you're saying is that she asked you to stay because she thinks it'll be safer with you there?" Wilson asked with a sense of smug satisfaction as one of his earlier theorieswas proven by the person that had originally denied it.
"Wipe that damn smile off your face." House told him realising what he had just done. "She asked me because she figured I'd kick the guy's ass again if he turned up."
"Therefore feeling safe with you around?" Wilson couldn't help but grin wider at his friend, looking at him as they drew up to a red light.
House scowled at him before turning away and looking out the window.
He knew Wilson was right. Cuddy did rely on him and feel safe around him. He felt like he had to meet her high standards and constantly had to remind himself that he didn't meet people's standards unless they were low because that's what worked for him. The only standards he had no problems meeting were that of being the 'cool dad' and as long as he had his bike, that was too easy, he smiled slightly to himself.
As House continued to stare at the streets passing by, vaguely listening to Wilson talk about a new nurse, he came to the conclusion that after Cuddy changed the locks and he had spent the night he had promised, he was going to run, metaphorically, from her. He needed her to expect a lot less from him so he could concentrate on the 'cool dad' part.
__
"That's the locks sorted." Cuddy said walking into the living room and putting her purse on the end table next to the sofa. House was sat with his feet up while Alex was on the floor, both seemingly engrossed in "Cars" which was currently on the screen in front of them.
"You know you could have just given me the seventy bucks and Wilson would've changed your locks." House said as Cuddy flopped down on the opposite end of the couch to him.
"How nice of you." Cuddy replied dryly. "It's always reassuring to know yourMO of getting paid to do nothing while others do the work extends outside the hospital too."
House turned his head, keeping it against the back of the sofa, to see her grinning at him and he gave her a mock smile before rolling his head back to watch the film once more, hiding the smirk on his face at her retort.
Cuddy smiled at his expression and remembered something in her purse. "Before I forget…" She reached over for it and sat it on her lap as she pulled out the keys to her new lock. "Here." She said taking one off the chain and handing it to House.
House hadn't really been concentrating on what she was saying until he heard the keys hitting one another when he turned to look at her. His eyes moved instantly to her outstretched hand with the key in it and then moved to her face, his mouth open slightly unsure of what was going on.
"What do I need a key for?" He finally asked, not moving to take it from her.
Cuddy frowned in confusion. "I thought you'd jump at the chance to have a key to my home. That way you don't have to break in or steal the key I leave outside."
"I don't need it." House said casually turning away from her and towards the TV once more.
"I just thought – "
"Doesn't matter," House interrupted, not looking at her, "Don't need it."
Cuddy put the key back on the ring and in her purse before getting up. "Okay." She told him, putting her bag on the table. "I'm going to make a start on dinner." With that she left the room and House let out a long sigh.
Cuddy was glad to get out of the room. House could be so infuriating. Sometimes he seemed like a decent human being and other times he was…House. She didn't know why she was handing House a key, she just figured it would be easier for when he wanted to see Alex but maybe offering him a key wasn't the best idea. Before she got married, she had problems keeping House out. She'd even had problems keeping him out after she was married. Offering him a way in would mean she wouldn't be able to get rid of him. She sighed wondering why she even embarrassed herself by proposing he take a key. If he wanted to see Alex, he could just call or turn up like he usually did. Cuddy rubbed a hand over her face in exasperation before busying herself with pots and pans as she set about making dinner.
House spent the next ten minutes debating whether or not to stay or get up and talk to her. He didn't want to and even told himself the day before that he was going to distance himself from her. He let out a huff of air as he stood up and made his way to the kitchen.
He stood, leaning against the door for a while watching her wondering whether or not to speak or go back to the living room when Cuddy turned round gasping at his sudden appearance.
"I get that a lot." He smirked at her.
"Because you sneak around like a creepy old man." Cuddy retorted composing herself and getting what she needed from the fridge.
House couldn't hide his smirk as he crossed his arms over his chest and watched her.
"That's creepy too, House." Cuddy said after a few moments. "What do you want?"
House shifted slightly before answering. "Why do you want me to have a key?"
She stilled her movements momentarily. "I don't want you to have a key."
"You just tried – " House replied incredulously.
Cuddy whirled round to face him. "I don't want you to have a key." She spat. This was ridiculous. They were behaving like a couple that thought they were at a new stage in their relationship. She let a slight laugh escape her. In a way, they were at a new stage in their relationship.
Why did I have to kiss him?
"What?" House asked quirking an eyebrow and snapping her out of her thoughts.
"Nothing."
He just shrugged before he went back to his original line of questioning. "So why did you want to give me the key. Okay," he said quickly before she interrupted him, "why did you want me to have a key to this place? It has nothing to do with seeing Alex. I can call or just turn up like I usually do. Why do – did – I need a key?"
"It was just a thought, House. A stupid one. Now drop it." She knew that wasn't going to work on him. He never let anything drop and she hated that about him.
"Come on, Cuddy. You're holding out on me."
Cuddy started grumbling and House could make out words like "cane," "shove" and "ass" and he couldn't help smirking. The past events may have taken a strange turn but he couldn't hide the fact that he loved getting her mad.
"All you have to do is tell me and I'll drop the subject." He told her with a smug grin.
Cuddy was about to dismiss him once more and tell him that it no longer mattered when she decided on another option, turning to face him and looking him straight in the eye.
"I don't exactly want you around when I start dating again. Giving you a key is practically inviting you to interrupt them."
House's mouth was gaping at her answer before he recovered and gave her a response. "Way to get back on that horse, Cuddy. Will you be looking for people with martial arts experience this time or will you just hope for the best?"
"You're an ass." She told him harshly before pushing him out of the kitchen. "Just get out."
House allowed himself to be pushed out and headed back to the living room. He promised that he'd stay for the night in case Michael came back but he felt like an idiot for creating an uncomfortable atmosphere for the rest of the night.
__
Cuddy looked up at the knock on her office door.
"Look what I've got." Marcus smiled, waving an envelope at her. He walked towards the desk and placed the envelope on her desk, taking a seat opposite her.
"It's done?" She asked, looking at him before grabbing the envelope and ripping it open.
It had been three weeks since she had seen Michael and he had signed the papers and she was just starting to feel like things were going back to how they were before him. The rest of that first night back in her house was quiet and the next day, House left, only returning when he wanted to see Alex. Outside of the hospital, they rarely spoke but their work life remained the same with House ridiculing her at any opportunity or arguing with her to get what he wanted.
"Yup." He sat back, unbuttoning his suit jacket as he relaxed into the chair. "Signed, sealed and delivered by a handsome young man." Marcus smirked.
"Where?" Cuddy pretended to look around him and laughed at his affronted expression. She got up and walked around the desk, and placed a kiss on his cheek. "I'm kidding. You are extremely handsome. I'd marry you if you were interested." She smiled at him.
"I'd marry you too if I were interested."
"Your ego's as bad as House's," she told him, standing up straighter to lean on the desk as she looked through the papers in the envelope.
"The only difference is I'm as "big" as my ego." When he got no response from Cuddy he pulled a disappointed face. "That would work better if House was actually here. Can you page him?"
"No." Cuddy told him firmly. Marcus raised a curious eyebrow at her quick response. "It's nothing."
He let out a disbelieving chuckle and stood up. "So, lunch? I'm paying."
Cuddy looked around at her desk and shrugged her shoulders when she saw that there was not the usual amount of paperwork on it. "Sure." She grabbed her purse and suit jacket and followed her friend through the door.
They were nearing the end of their meal when Cuddy's phone rang. She pulled it out of her purse and looked at the number. Paul Hart, PG. She sighed as she saw it was the dean of medicine at Princeton General most likely calling her to ask if House could give a consult on a patient and therefore ending her celebratory lunch.
"Doctor Hart." Cuddy greeted.
"Doctor Cuddy. We just admitted a patient through the ER…he has you down as his next of kin. Michael Johnson. I believe he's your husband." He told her with a sombre tone.
Cuddy was torn as to what she should do. Her instinct was to ask if he was ok but she wanted to wash her hands of him. "What happened?" She asked knowing she couldn't be as cold as to correct him.
"He took an overdose of anti depressants. He was unconscious when he came in but the staff performed a gastric lavage and he's currently stable. He's been asking for you since he woke up."
Cuddy let out the breath she was holding and shook her head at Marcus when he looked at her inquiringly. "I'm glad he's ok Doctor Hart but Michael and I are no longer married. I believe his mother's number is in his file."
"Oh. I had no idea…he is asking to see you though…"
Cuddy felt harsh for what she was about to say but she felt it was unnecessary to rush to his side now that they were no longer together. "I'm extremely busy right now Doctor Hart. If you could tell him that I'm glad he's ok that would be great. Thank you for letting me know. Good bye."
"Good…bye."
Cuddy pressed the disconnect button and let out a sigh.
"What happened?" Marcus asked, taking a sip of his water.
Cuddy stared at the phone for a moment before looking up at her friend. "Michael overdosed on his anti depressants." A wry laugh escaped her. "I can't believe that bastard." She exclaimed. "The day our divorce is finalised, he tries to kill himself? And not only that but he thinks I'll come running?"
"Wow." Marcus replied. "He tried to kill himself? Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. I just can't believe – actually, I can believe. Why am I so surprised? Three weeks. I hadn't seen him in three weeks and the final papers come through today and he tries to get my attention –"
Cuddy was interrupted as her phone began to ring once more. She looked down to see that once more, Doctor Hart was calling her and she let out a growl. Marcus reached over and removed the phone from her hand, glancing at it before he answered it.
"This Doctor Cuddy's lawyer…" He trailed off as he listened to what was being said on the other end of the line before removing the phone from his ear and holding it against his shoulder. "Lisa, I think you need to speak to him…Michael's on the roof…"